A Year of Unity and Good Health

Thu, 2012-01-05 18:01 ??lynelle

Taste Issue:

Winter 2011

By Stephen Wong

Yu Sheng Prosperity Fish Salad The mythical Chinese dragon, comfortable in the water cycle, the element it controls, will swoop in on January 23, 2012 for its auspicious year-long reign.

Imbued with supreme spiritual power, wisdom and strength, bravery and creativity, it promises a year of flamboyant new beginnings, successes to new ventures and, according to at least one hopeful geomancer a continuing real estate boom in Canada and China.

That’s what’s great about Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival. It’s rich with symbols and is ever-optimistic. Every year we get a chance to wipe the slate clean and start over with fresh aspirations of wealth, health and good fortune. What’s even better is we can help actualize these good things in life by simply eating foods that are their respective homophones (sound-alikes) during the New Year celebrations. Mandarin oranges for gold, lettuce for striking it rich… the links are simple, but powerful.

But the dragon is exceptional because, unique among its peers in the Chinese Zodiac, it is not an earthbound animal but a powerful mythical composite of the others. Folktales in Singapore describe the dragon as having the whiskers of the rat, the head and horns of the ox, claws and teeth of the tiger, the belly of the rabbit, the body of the snake, the legs of the horse, the beard of the goat, the brain of the monkey, the crest of the rooster, the ears of the dog and the snout of the pig. In these divisive times, I choose to interpret the advent of the dragon as a potent symbol of unity, tolerance and inclusiveness.

The dragon is also an imperial symbol of power with dominion over life-sustaining water and, as such, is the embodiment of the balance between yin and yang – the key to good health.

So to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, this year’s New Year’s menu will draw inspiration from multiple cultures while focusing on good health. If we learn to live together in healthy harmony, prosperity will surely follow.
Yu Sheng (Prosperity Fish Salad) is popular in Singapore and Malaysia and is a healthy dish well-balanced with fresh vegetables and the health benefits of Omega-3 rich salmon. Toss all the elements together (the higher the better), eat and you are sure to prosper in the coming year.

Ginseng Chicken Miso Soup is a dish inspired by the famous Korean ginseng chicken soup. It is an “uber” noodle soup combining the healthful trifecta of North American ginseng (reputed to ease the ravages of the common cold), mom’s chicken soup (a psychological edge) and noodles (a symbol for long life).

The seasoning for this Mongolian Lamb Loin recipe is inspired by the combination of ingredients that make up the dipping sauce for the traditional Mongolian-style Lamb Hot Pot. Lamb is one among a host of game meats that the Chinese eat in winter to ward off the chill of the season. It’s the yang that will balance the yin of winter. Striploin steaks make a fine substitute if lamb is not a personal favourite.

Ginseng Chicken Miso Soup